PetroSun Biofuels proposes making biodiesel and ethanol from algae grown in Mississippi catfish ponds, producing both catfish and biofuels in the same space.Grainnet Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "Based on an annual potential production rate of 2,000 gallons per acre, the existing 80,000 acres of ponds would produce 160 million gallons of algal oil annually for conversion to biodiesel."

Friday, November 14, 2008

Other countries have developed large-scale production of biogas and electricity from livestock manure. With the proper regulatory environmnet and incentives, the U.S. could do the same. This article and the comments are a good introduction to the benefits and challenges of biogas from livestock manure.Biogas: what options for Slurry power in the US? - Renewable Energy World: "Intensive animal farming produces large amounts of waste – about 75 kg per cow, per day – that is both a source of methane pollution and a potential groundwater pollutant. Using anaerobic digestion to treat animal slurry can provide a solution to this problem, as well as renewable energy."

Biogas (mainly methane) from a landfill will be used in place of natural gas as the process fuel used to turn corn and grain sorghum into ethanol. This should improve the energy balance of the ethanol produced and the city will receive a royalty.The Robesonian > St Pauls Review > News > Ethanol plant permitted: "The plant will partner with Robeson County on the site. Robeson County, which signed a 15-year deal with Solv-It Technologies in February, 2007, will install a $1.1 million methane gas collection system to power the plant. The methane will be collected from the landfill."

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You might be interested in a new book by the authors of this blog entitled "Sustainable Ethanol: Biofuels, Biorefineries, Cellulosic Biomass, Flex-Fuel Vehicles, and Sustainable Farming for Energy Independence." Here are some sources for more information and ordering: